Barack Obama names 53 songs getting him through 2020

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Barack Obama names 53 songs getting him through 2020, with Megan Thee Stallion and Billie Eilish on the list

On the same night as his wife Michelle Obama delivered a powerful keynote speech at the Democratic National Convention, former President Barack Obama made his own mic-drop statement — cramming a plethora of bangers from Billie Eilish, Childish Gambino, Sheryl Crow and dozens of other artists into his annual summer playlist.

A handful of the year’s biggest tracks, including Eilish’s “My Future” and Megan Thee Stallion’s “Savage” remix with Beyoncé, made the cut, as did Khalid and Disclosure’s hit “Know Your Worth.”

But Obama also featured a number of older tunes he may have missed during his eight-year presidency — like Rihanna and Drake’s 2016 blockbuster “Work” and Jennifer Hudson’s “Feeling Good.”

And a few genuine throwbacks, including Otis Redding’s “These Arms of Mine,” Bob Marley and The Wailers’ “Could You Be Loved” and Outkast’s 1998 track “Liberation,” were also featured in the eclectic mix.

“Over the past few months, I’ve spent a lot of time listening to music with my family,” Obama wrote as he published the playlist.

“As always, it’s a mix of genres that travels through various eras. I think there’s something in here for everybody — hope you enjoy it.”

Childish Gambino, Frank Ocean and Anderson .Paak were included in the mix alongside legends from previous generations — including Nina Simone, Bob Dylan and Stevie Wonder.

A few of the featured artists are also on the bill at the ongoing Democratic convention, where Obama’s wife Michelle made an emotional speech Monday night condemning current President Donald Trump and making the moral case for challenger Joe Biden.

Obama’s playlist was published online the same night as his wife’s speech, and the former president is also expected to speak later in the four-day event.

The former leader’s affinity for a wide range of music has been well documented. Obama hosted a number of performers at the White House, honored others — like Bruce Springsteen — with the Presidential Medal of Freedom, and even broke out a few lines of Al Green’s “Let’s Stay Together” during a 2012 speech.

His successor Trump has had a comparatively harder time courting musical acts, with several — including the Rolling Stones — telling the president to stop using their music at rallies.

Source: CNN